Rhode Island's governor announced Friday that a state health care system was targeted in a cyberattack that may have resulted in personal information being stolen.
RIBridges, part of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, is described by the agency as "a state-of-the-art eligibility system" used to determine if residents are eligible for state programs and Medicaid, and to connect them with other health care options.
Gov. Dan McKee's office said Friday that RIBridges' computer system was hit with a breach.
"On December 13, 2024, the State was informed by its vendor, Deloitte, that there was a major security threat to the RIBridges system," the state said in a statement. "In response, we have proactively taken the system offline so that the State and Deloitte can work to address the threat and restore the system as quickly as possible. Additionally, Deloitte confirmed that there is a high probability that a cybercriminal has obtained files with personally identifiable information from RIBridges."
The state noted that RIBridges manages Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Rhode Island Works (RIW), Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), General Public Assistance Program (GPA), and health coverage purchased through HealthSource RI.
NBC affiliate WJAR reports that the system, previously called UHIP, was launched in 2016 under former Gov. Gina Raimondo and had a rocky rollout, resulting in a major backlog.
Rhode Island officials say people whose information may have been compromised will receive letters in the mail instructing them how to access free credit monitoring. They added that a dedicated call center would be available beginning Sunday, but they have not yet released a phone number.
